mklions

We have been looking to book our 1st Saga cruise for next October, 18 nights sailing to the Canaries and Cape Verde. The cabins on Deck E are coming in over £300pp cheaper than the same basic balcony cabin on other decks. I've been told the cabins are the same size ( though on the Saga website the deck plan on standard cabins on other decks do look slightly larger) so why are they so much cheaper? and would you advise for or against a cabin on Deck E? Thanks, MKlions.

Hi Sailors, As a regular cruiser (over 40 cruises) my wife and I have started to look at Saga Cruises for a first time. Not pinning our flag to any one particular cruise line we have sailed with both the mainstream lines ( P&O, Cunard, Princess, Celebrity ) along with such premium lines as Silversea,Oceania,Seabourn and Azamara. When travelling with the mainstream we normally try to book a suite cabin, in fact we have two cruises booked either side of Christmas one on the P&O Ventura and one on Britannia both in aft suites. We are always looking for our next adventure (cruise holiday) and have started to consider Saga as a viable option,It appears that they tick all the boxes that the premium lines offer with their all inclusive packages plus a few really good extras, chauffeur service from home to port being the main one. Cost wise Saga is similar priced to such luxury cruise lines such as Azamara and Oceania but how do they compare on the following? 1 Cabin sizes? along with cabin inclusions? (robes ,slippers, bath tub and toiletries Etc) 2 Food in main restaurant ? 3 Specialty restaurants ? 4 Service in general? 5 Last but no biggie for us entertainment? Will be very interesting to hear your thoughts. king regards, Mklions.

I’m 62 next birthday , I think the time for a tattoo has passed, lol. mklions.

Wow, What a easy thing to do, within a couple of hours of uploading my Princess loyalty status we received the below email. Thanks for all your help. Mklions. Were thrilled to let you know that you qualify for our Match and Sea More Program which means youve automatically secured Sea-Rover status. Youll now have access to our Deep Blue Extra perks which are per cabin and are applicable to eligible voyages through December 31, 2023. $10 Daily Specialty Coffee Credit Per Cabin: Because you deserve to be glamorously caffeinated for everything you've got planned. $100 Bar Tab Credit Per Cabin: Sip on cocktails, mocktails, smoothies and more with $100 in drink credits on us. Bar Tab cannot be used for Happenings that include alcohol, such as, Food of the Gods and Gram, the Grog Walk, or Shot for Shot. An Exclusive Cocktail Event: A stunningly curated and extra-special cocktail party for those with Deep Blue Extras. Expedited Boarding: A VIP-style dedicated line at embarkation awaits you at the terminal. Laundry Service: Two (2) pressed items, one (1) dry-cleaned item, and one (1) bag of laundry on us. RockStar Agent On Board: For any and all of your needs, you'll have access to a dedicated agent. Unlimited Premium WiFi (where available): If you can dream it, we can stream with access to our premium WiFi. Outside of December 31, 2023, youll receive a $100 Bar Tab bonus with the purchase of $300 Bar Tab through 2024. You dont need to worry, as your loyalty status match is anchored to your Sailor profile, so any applicable perks will be automatically applied to your eligible voyage(s). It is important to know that as of now, the Virgin Voyages app and website doesnt show a badge for Sea-Rover, so you may want to keep this email for your own personal peace of mind, as we are able to see Sea-Rover status anchored to your Sailor profile, but you are not currently able to verify via the app or website.

Great thank you, I have just uploaded my loyalty status from Princess Cruises and as you say now need to wait a week for my reply. Great advice everyone! mklions

Thanks for all the replies to my post and the great advice ! I have accrued elite status on Princes cruises and have also accrued some reasonably high loyalty tiers with other cruise lines such as P&O, and Azamara. I am not overly loyal to any particular TA , I just get bombarded with emails and offers each day and shop around before ringing them. I was not aware or made aware of the ‘like for like’ loyalty program that VV offer during my booking process with the TA. Should I get back in touch with my TA and let them know or can I do it myself? If so how do I go about it ?, and how do I prove my loyalty status with the other cruise lines? Normally when I book with a repeat cruise line they have all my past passenger details on file. With Princess for example, I get a complimentary mini bar set up in the room ( one per cruise) free laundry ( one per week ) and discount on all purchases. Is this something VV will match? , and is it worthwhile doing? Thanks again, appreciate your replies. mklions.

Hi all, After nearly 40 cruises on various cruise lines , we have taken the plunge and booked our first cruise on VV Sailing on the resilient in September. The catalyst for this booking is that our TA got in touch with a fantastic offer of 1300 dollars OBC , 600 to be used on a drinks package and 700 elsewhere. Although we like a drink or two 600 bucks will be hard to spend in a week and my question is how to spend the remaining 700? we are both in our early 60s ( and young at heart) and hoping the cruise will be ok for us? Any advise most welcome! mklions.

Is it worth pre buying the bottles and wrapping them in the case, or buying them at the airport and carrying them on as hand luggage? I guess now that we are out of the EU we can buy duty free again at the airport? By the way we are flying to Tenerife to catch Azura in two weeks.

Is it still prohibited to bring alcohol onto the ship on embarkation or purchase alcohol ( a few beers) at ports of call to bring onboard? I know cruise lines vary on this subject but I wonder what is P&O's stance on this? It would be nice to have a drink on our balcony from time to time. Thanks, Mklions

I will be amazed if the logistics of this works. With such a long transportation time between Abu Dhabi and Doha ( 6 hours) then the border wait time the unfortunate passengers with tickets for a 1pm kick off will have to leave the ship 3-4 am in the morning! Then those with further tickets for the evening game they will get out of the ground at 10pm at the earliest join the coach for a 6 hour journey back, um!

Really disappointed to receive the email below. It was billed and sold as a World Cup cruise, my birthday is on th 21st November and was hoping to go to the official fan zone in Doha to watch the England v Iran match. A quite unbelievable change in schedule. I'm sure a lot of passengers will be gutted. Mklions. Dear Azamara Guest, We hope you're looking forward to your 11-Night Arabia & Dubai Voyage departing on November 15, 2022. We're writing to inform you of some important changes made to your itinerary. Travel authorities in Qatar have recently informed us that they will be closing the port and not allowing cruise ships to enter during the World Cup games. There are a few cruise ships that have been chartered by the government in Doha during the games to host fans - these are being used as parked hotels for the duration and are not considered cruises. Additionally, Qatar has provided logistical information explaining that travelers can only enter the country if they have tickets to the games. This means that it will not be possible for you to visit Qatar without attending a match. For those of you who weren't planning on going to a World Cup match, we want to continue to provide a wonderful Arabian Gulf experience and give you the option to explore freely off the ship. As a result, we were able to secure berthing in Abu Dhabi from November 21 to 23 so you can experience this exotic region of the world without encountering any travel limitations. Additional itinerary adjustments were made to other ports of calls to help facilitate this change and complete itinerary changes can be viewed in the grid at the end of this letter. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause; despite this change, by giving you more time in Abu Dhabi, you can experience the grandeur of the gold-gilded Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, indulge in High Tea at the Emirates Palace, or, if you prefer, savor a Golden Cappuccino and visit the Louvre Museum, that in collaboration with the Louvre France, features a rich collection of both Arab and world Art. We hope you can look forward to enjoying this beautiful city at a more relaxed pace. Rest assured, any shore excursions booked through Azamara in Doha will be refunded back to your original method of payment and new shore excursions for your stay in Abu Dhabi are available to book on your Voyage Planner. For those who purchased World Cup tickets during the days we were staying in Doha, we are working with the Qatar authorities to determine transportation options to attend a game. To determine the best options, we will need to know if you are holding a ticket. If you are a World Cup ticket holder, click here to fill out a quick 5-minute survey. Once completed, our team will review your answers and contact you with further information. We thank you for your understanding. We take great pride in bringing you and every Azamara guest unforgettable experiences both onboard our ships and within our destinations. Should you have any questions, please contact your Travel Advisor for more details specific to your country of residence or visit https://www.azamara.com/contact-us for your local Azamara call center number. Captain Jonas and the entire Azamara Quest® crew can't wait to welcome you aboard in Dubai! Warm Regards, AZAMARA® Full itinerary details can be viewed below: Old Itinerary Day Date Port of Call Arrive Depart Tue 15-Nov-22 Dubai, United Arab Emirates Embark Wed 16-Nov-22 Dubai, United Arab Emirates 8:00 PM Thu 17-Nov-22 At Sea Fri 18-Nov-22 Muscat, Oman 7:30 AM Sat 19-Nov-22 Muscat, Oman 8:00 PM Sun 20-Nov-22 At Sea Mon 21-Nov-22 Doha, Qatar 7:30 AM Tue 22-Nov-22 Doha, Qatar Wed 23-Nov-22 Doha, Qatar 6:00 PM Thu 24-Nov-22 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 8:00 AM Fri 25-Nov-22 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 6:00 PM Sat 26-Nov-22 Dubai, United Arab Emirates 6:00 AM New Itinerary Day Date Port of Call Arrive Depart Tue 15-Nov-22 Dubai, United Arab Emirates Embark Wed 16-Nov-22 Dubai, United Arab Emirates 8:00 PM Thu 17-Nov-22 At Sea Fri 18-Nov-22 Muscat, Oman 7:30 AM Sat 19-Nov-22 Muscat, Oman 6:00 PM Sun 20-Nov-22 Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates 1:30 PM 9:00 PM Mon 21-Nov-22 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 7:30 AM Tue 22-Nov-22 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Wed 23-Nov-22 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 6:00 PM Thu 24-Nov-22 Sir Bani Yas, United Arab Emirates 8:00 AM 6:00 PM Fri 25-Nov-22 Dubai, United Arab Emirates 7:30 AM Sat 26-Nov-22 Dubai, United Arab Emirates Debark